Thursday 5/2/19 – Well what a difference a day makes weather wise. Yesterday was perfect for being a tourist with sunny skies and a high of 70. But today was rainy but at least it was a travel day. I took two trains to get to Beaune (pronounced “Bon” in French) with the stop being in Dijon. I have to admit it was a little mustardly smelling there. Ya know, Dijon mustard. OK, that was a poor attempt at travel humor! Lol.
So given the weather and late arrival in Beaune I walked around a little but didn’t get any great pics so I decided I’d share more from yesterday’s tour thru all the villages. Check out the really blue house and what’s hanging in front. It was a wine shop and they used the main stem from a grape vine (called the foot) and made it into a large corkscrew. Clever! But of course the rain did not stop me from getting out and finding a great place to eat. Both the hotel (it’s great) and this restaurant (Le Bistro de Cocottes) came recommended by Rick Steves and they’re only 3 minutes apart. I had some of the best duck I have ever had. I included a pic. It was sliced thin with sautéd mushrooms and chunks of slab bacon in this delicious mushroom sauce with great crunchy French bread and a cute little crock of creamy mashed potatoes on the side. Yummy!
Well of course I couldn’t come to a new town and area without first sharing some history. Beaune (Pop. 22,000) is in the Burgundy region of France (roughly the size of Belgium) which runs from Auxere in the north to Lyon in the south. The rolling hills of Burgundy gave birth to superior wine, fine cuisine, spicy mustard, and sleepy villages smothered in luscious landscapes. This deceptively peaceful region witnessed Julius Caesar’s defeat of the Gauls, then saw the Abbey of Cluny rise from the ashes of the Roman Empire to vie with Rome for religious influence in the 12th century. Burgundy’s last hurrah came in the 15th century, when it’s powerful dukes controlled an immense area stretching north to Holland.
That’s all for today. Happy Thursday to all!
Jeff
The Wandering Italian 